1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of electrochemistry. More specifically, the present invention relates to a real-time, quantitative electrochemical device for the measurement of corrosion of conductive materials in atmospheres containing chemically reactive gases and water vapor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many metal-containing devices and structures must function in corrosive atmospheres which cause them to deteriorate over time. Corrosion may take the form of metal oxides resulting from reaction with oxygen in the air, or corrosion may form by compounds formed with the effluent of industrial processes, such as hydrogen sulfide.
A common method of measuring corrosion employs resistance measurement of a metallic corrodible test element to indicate, by change in electrical resistance, the amount of metal that has been lost by corrosion over a period of time. There are several corrosive probes, sensors or processes currently available for evaluating corrosive environments by measuring an electric current passed through the corrosive media itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,360 to Jasinski discloses a corrosion probe having sandwich of electrodes and dielectric layers for measuring the corrosion rates of metals in corrosive environment. In one application, the probe must be immersed in a liquid corrosive media, including corrosive elements such as carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulfide in a brine solution used in oil drilling. Current is conducted through the conductive elements and directly through the liquid brine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,525 to Dutton is related to a corrosion test cell having a plurality of conductive elements connectable to test electrodes, wherein the electrodes extend into a corrosive liquid environment during operation. The corrosion measuring cell of Schiessl, U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,355, includes a plurality of electrodes which are embedded in a solid (concrete) media for sensing the occurrence of corrosion of steel bars by sensing variations in current flow between the electrodes. The sensed current is again a current flowing through the corrosive media.
The prior art is deficient in the lack of a real-time, quantitative electrochemical device for measuring corrosive potential in a gaseous environment. The present invention fulfills this long-standing need and desire in the art.